9th Brethren Court
The Brethren Court was a confederation of pirates on The Legend of Pirates Online made up of the Pirate Lords, which serves as the governing body of pirates across the world. They were led by the Pirate King, Richard Cannonwalker. History For information on the past Brethren Courts from Pirates of the Caribbean Online, see: 'The 5th Brethren Court, The 6th Brethren Court, The 7th Brethren Court, and The 8th Brethren Court'' The Beginning After the end of the 8th Brethren Court and PotCO on September 19, 1746 (2013), pirate roleplay as a whole stopped and became dormant. While the British roleplayers remained together and organized, many members of the 8th Court moved on to other things. There was nothing more than a few whispers of creating any kind of pirate organizations for the two and a half years that followed PotCO's closure. In the January and February of 1749 (2016), news arose of another Brethren Court being made by a man named Lawrence Ironhawk. Richard Cannonwalker, the King of the 8th Court, was initially willing to "pass the torch" along to this new Brethren Court and take a step back from pirate roleplaying. However, after hearing of this new Court's non-aggression pact with the British, he decided that they would be an inadequate successor to the legacy of the Brethren Courts. Throughout the month of March, Cannonwalker recruited and made plans for the creation of the 9th Brethren Court. By the end of the month, he had six lords total. After he finished recruiting, Cannonwalker held a vote between the lords to decide who would become Pirate King; he won this vote, becoming the first ever two-time Pirate King. Cannonwalker and his newly-appointed Keeper of the Code, Finn Hamm, issued a new Pirate Code for this Court to follow as well. On April 1, the 9th Brethren Court's existence was officially announced to the world. By May 12, after talks with Lawrence Ironhawk, their two Courts had come to an agreement to merge. Certain lords from each Court were demoted and other agreements were put in place. By June 9, Sultan Mahmud I gifted the entire Ottoman Empire to Pirate King Cannonwalker, causing controversy within the rest of the roleplay community and talks of a British-supported coup d'etat. These ultimately subsided and, after considering the circumstances, on October 6, Cannonwalker appointed Pirate Lord Finn Hamm to lead the Ottoman Empire as a vassal state of the Brethren Court. By December 9, TLOPO finally released semi-open beta. The Outlanders is created the same day to serve as the Court's main guild. The guild quickly swelled in numbers and eventually recruited the Empress of Austria, Hannah Bluefeather, and the newly-crowned King of the Netherlands, Leonhard Bosch, who both defected from Britain. On December 16, the Netherlands gifted the Court all of their Caribbean possessions, and Russia gifted the Court a couple of port towns in the Mediterranean Sea. As time went on, interest in TLOPO within the Brethren Court began to dwindle. Activity peaked in late December leading into the new year due to TLOPO's double xp event, but lords began playing less and less frequently on the game due to its buggy nature. Activity within The Outlanders dropped considerably, and the Court went into a decline. Exiting Country Roleplay In June 2017, The Court eventually voted to exit land-based roleplay, and entrusted their land with Finn Hamm, who resigned from the Court in order to stay in said roleplay and oversee the lands. In October, The Outlanders begun another resurgence, swelling up in members and activity almost overnight. This activity would dip and rise again, going through the ebbs and flows characteristic of The Outlanders. On April 27th, 2018, Guildmastership of The Outlanders was passed to the Keeper of the Code, Gabrielle O'Spinner, and the Brethren Court was dissolved. The Pirate Code The code that all members of the Brethren Court must follow, lest they risk being branded a "rogue pirate." Guidelines for Piracy *Rule one, befriend others wisely. *All adherents of the Code pledge to be bound together as a brotherhood of pirates, sharing alike in one's fortunes and troubles. Every member shall have an equal vote in the affairs of the moment and equal share of the provisions. Every pirate shall obey the Code. Anyone who fails shall be marooned on a desert island, and left ashore with a loaf of bread or hardtack, a bottle of water, and a pistol with one load. *The captain of a ship is to be elected by a majority vote of its crew. If any time a crew, with sufficient evidence, finds their captain to be lacking in ability or offensive in nature, a new captain may be freely elected amongst the ship's members. The captain shall be made aware of the situation and will graciously step aside, assuming another position on the crew. Failure to follow this procedure will be deemed mutiny. *Any pirate who has suffered an injury from pillaging, plundering, hijacking, swashbuckling, or other pirate duties shall receive compensation for the wound from common stock. *Compensation shall be as follows, in pieces of eight: **Loss of right arm: 800 **Loss of left arm: 750 **Loss of right leg: 500 **Loss of left leg: 400 **Fight wound: 100 **Loss of eye: 200 **Loss of ear: 30 Ducats **Loss of finger: 100 **Trigger finger: 200 **Pinky finger: Life be cruel, mate **Head: A dead man not be needin' his money. *In the event of the loss of a limb, the surgeon or carpenter may be able to restore lost appendages with what is best suited. Spare planks or other miscellaneous items found onboard may be rigged as a makeshift prosthetic. If injury is dehabilitating to the point of preventing a pirate from performing his duties as an able-bodied seaman, the quartermaster will provide a new assignment. Replacement limbs lost on duty should be compensated at no less than half-cost of natural limbs. *Every member shall have an equal share of fresh provisions, however they may be acquired, and may take pleasure in such provisions at will, except in times of scarcity. Until said scarcity is voted over, it is necessary for the common good of the crew to adhere to rations. Anyone who takes more than his equal share of provisions at any time shall be marooned. Any Pirate susceptible of eating any foodstuff rendered pernicious shall see the ship surgeon post haste. *Each man shall keep his weapon, whether it be a cutlass, sword, pistol, or other piece, clean at all times and ready for action. *If a pirate is the first to locate a prize and should find among this plunder a weapon that is better than his own, he may take it as his own. The rest of the items will be chosen in turn with the captain first, master second, and so forth in seniority. Ship's musicians may lay claim to any instruments found among the spoils. *No pirate shall strike another while onboard the ship. In the event of such an occurrence, the quarrel shall be resolved on the shore by a pistol, sword, or in another agreed upon manner as deemed by the captain. Limbs or other body parts lost in duel are not to be compensated as those lost in battle. *No man shall game for money in any form, whether it be with cards, dice, crab claws, barnacles, or any other means. *Lights and candles must be snuffed out of eight o'clock. If any man desires to drink after such time, he shall do so on the open deck without lights. *No man shall smoke tobacco in the hold without cap to his pipe or hold a candle without lantern shield. If he is discovered doing so, he shall receive such punishment as the captain and company see fit. *All musicians shall have their only day of rest on the Sabbath. Any other day, musical pirates shall be granted leisure time only by favour of the captain or quartermaster. *Every member of the crew shall be allowed a shift of clothes. These may be obtained by plundering, stealing, or borrowing. *If a pirate is captured by an enemy ship, he has the right to declare parlay, or temporary protection, until he may have an audience with the enemy captain. At this point, he cannot be harmed. Parlay is not considered concluded until said captives and captains have completed negotiations. *The captain shall have two shares of a prize. The quartermaster shall have one-and-three-quarter shares. The surgeon shall have one-and-one-half shares. The master gunner, carpenter, sailmaker, and boatswain shall receive one-and-one-quarter shares. All others shall have one share each. The company may vote to temporarily withhold the cook's share should his food kill a shipmate. *If any Man shall steal anything in the the value of a piece of eight, he shall be marooned or shot. *Good quarters to be given when craved. *He who falls behind shall be left behind. *Take what you can, give nothing back. Guidelines for Brethren Court Operations *All members of the Brethren Court, Lord or otherwise, must swear utmost allegiance to the Court, its Code, and abstain from serving any other entity, even as a privateer, without permission from the Pirate King *The Pirate King is to be elected by achieving a majority of votes from the other Pirate Lords. *The Pirate King leads the Court, running the Court’s day-to-day operations, but should not enact any changes if the Pirate Lords are disapproving. *The Pirate King has sole authority to declare war on the Brethren Court, but should receive approval from the Pirate Lords before doing so. *If the Pirate King resigns from his post, a new election for Pirate King must be held. In the event of such an election, Pirate Lords may not vote for themselves but may choose to abstain if they wish. *The Hand of the Pirate King is second-in-command of the Court, nominated by the Pirate King and voted in by the other Pirate Lords, and runs day-to-day operations in the King’s absence; otherwise, they serve as the Pirate King’s main advisor *The Hand of the Pirate King, may not initiate war or create major changes in the Court unless the Pirate King has given him approval to do so. *The Keeper of the Code is third-in-command of the Court, nominated by the Pirate King and voted in by the other Pirate Lords, and upholds the Pirate Code, ensuring all who break it (including other Lords themselves) are brought to the Pirate King’s attention. *Pirate Lords are, by many standards, the fiercest pirates the Caribbean has to offer; the best of the best, or the worst of the worst. Each of them is nominated by the Pirate King, voted in by the other Lords, and holds dominion over a specific sea in the Caribbean. They are to ensure the Pirate Code is being upheld in that specific part of the sea and that piracy thrives, both in their sea and in the Caribbean as a whole. *If ever a Pirate Lord is found to be inactive in the Caribbean seas for more than a month (without a good reason), the Pirate King has the authority to remove them from their position. *Magistrates are notorious pirates, nominated by the Pirate King and voted in by the Pirate Lords to oversee specific islands in the Caribbean, ensuring the Pirate Code is to be upheld and piracy is to thrive on that specific island. They may sit in on private Pirate Lord meetings and share their opinions, but may not vote. *If a fellow Pirate Lord or Magistrate is found to be breaking the Pirate Code, a simple majority vote between the Pirate King, the Hand, and the Keeper of the Code may have them removed. Any other members of the Court found to be breaking the Pirate Code may be removed at the Pirate King’s discretion. *The Code may be amended at any time with a simple majority between the Pirate King, the Hand, and the Keeper of the Code; all such changes, no matter how inconsequential, must be made public to all members of the Brethren Court with no exceptions. Guilds Relations ''These are the relationships the Brethren Court has with fellow roleplaying groups. These relationships are '''roleplay only; don't treat people who are in "enemy" guild as actual enemies unless it's a roleplaying event.'' Allies Enemies The Pirate Lords The Biographies 'Pirate King Richard Cannonwalker' Ahoy! I'm Richard Cannonwalker, the founder and King of this incarnation of the Brethren Court. I was also the King of the last Brethren Court before POTCO closed which makes me the first ever two-time Pirate King. I've been adventuring in the Caribbean since I was young, and I have had my share of adventures. I've taken treasures and weapons that were barely conceivable when I began my life of piracy and overcame some of the toughest obstacles imaginable. I've been a pirate ever since about a month after POTCO was first released. I've lead many guilds, a few of which were maxed at one point or another. By the time POTCO closed, I was leading a guild called "The Outlanders", which served as the main guild for the 8th Brethren court. My reign as Pirate King in the 8th Brethren Court was lackluster, but I plan on correcting that this time around. For too long pirates have been considered weak and dovish, but I plan on radically changing that image. No obstacle is too hard for us to conquer, and no enemy is too difficult for us to defeat. Together, this Court will strike fear into the hearts of all who dare challenge us. 'Keeper of the Code Gabrielle O'Spinner' TBA 'Pirate Lord Jeremiah Garland' Jeremiah Garland was born the son of a wealthy British merchant in St Albans, England. Following in his father's footsteps, he took up a job in the British East India Company, first as a lowly ship-hand and clerk then as a corporal in the Company's sizeable military. One night whilst on guard duty at Fort Charles, Garland's rebellious tendencies got the better of him; deciding he had enough of life in the company, he began his career as a pirate after he snuck into the commandant's office, pilfered a folio of vital company documents, and escaped on board a stolen company ship. Evading capture from the Royal Navy, the rogue soldier-turned-pirate initially operated as a lone freelance plunderer, but soon found greater success operating in the crew of Captain Richard Cannonwalker. After the latter had proclaimed himself leader of the Republic of Padres Del Fuego, Garland too reestablished himself on the island, which had come to be a safe haven for piracy. After Cannonwalker stepped down, Garland found himself briefly in control of the island, but he too left after a failed attempt to prevent the island from falling into the hands of a massive British invasion in early 1746. Garland and Cannonwalker decided to part ways but kept a steady correspondence. Garland, as well as a few of his loyal followers, sought refuge in Russia, a country with which Garland had several connections. After arriving in St Petersburg later that year, Garland struck a deal with the Russian Court where the former and his crew would continue to prey on unknowing ship routes throughout Northern Europe; in return, the Russian government would turn a blind eye to Garland's piracy and even give him the island of Saaremaa to act as his base of operations. Garland, acting under the alias of a Prussian sea captain named "Klaus von Wroclai", has since wrecked havoc on European ports in the Baltic Sea, particularly those along the Swedish, Danish, and Polish coasts. On April 8, 1749, Garland was summoned back to the Caribbean by his old friend, Captain Cannonwalker, to take part in the 9th Brethren Court, representing the Baltic Sea as a Pirate Lord (and later the island of Port Royal). 'Pirate Lord Zoomer' Real name Wolf, his colleagues have dubbed him "Zoomer" half out of respect of his amazing alacrity in combat and half out of not knowing what his real name actually is. Zoomer was born in late 1726 in the slums of Havana, Cuba, to a local lady of the evening and a Navy Cadet. After his father abandoned them when he was only about a week old, his mother attempted to drown him in the swamps of Cuba. He would survive, however, but only to become a child slave on a plantation. It was there he met fellow outcasts Ben Badbane and Dog Dockdougal, who, along with Zoomer, would become a sort of family. During the night, the three were taught the ways of Voodoo by Tia Dalma and some basic combat techniques from passerby pirates who would pity them. One day, the EITC burned down his plantation, and both of his friends would die - Ben beheaded and Dog burned to death - as children. The commander of the operation was Samuel, a known high-ranking EITC officer. He managed to escape Cuba on stowaway to Padres Del Fuego, Samuel's home island. After tracking him down, Zoomer cornered the unassuming Samuel in Beckett's Quarry, and gutted him with his own knife. He would leave 10 gold pieces amidst Samuel's guts as his "condolences". He became a petty thief by day, and hired assassin by night. Just about five years later, Richard Cannonwalker and Finn Hamm, leaders of the 9th court, would find him and see the crystal-clear latent potential just waiting to be tapped into in Zoomer. He was recruited into the 9th court as pirate lord at the age of 22. Zoomer is a master of all weapons - from basic swords to ranged firearms - and the 9th court acknowledges this. He is a callous misanthrope who pledges unwavering allegiance to those he deems the strongest. 'Pirate Lord John Foullegend' Born in New England, where both his parents were raised, John Foullegend grew to be a strapping young lad. Often doing very well in school, John was offered a scholarship to study to become a sailor in the land of England. Making his parents proud, he graduated as a top honor student. Although his life seemed to be going in the right direction, his life was changed when he went on his first expedition to the Caribbean. The journey took several months, and when he arrived in Tortuga, he was greeted by nasty prostitutes, scurvy pirates, and dead-beat sailors. Finding this place disgusting, he stayed for no longer than a few days, before setting sail on All Hallows Eve, 1735. Despite the warnings from fellow sailors, he did not believe in bad luck, so he was steadfast in his journey. It wasn't long before Jolly Roger captured and raided Foullegend's ship, and he was cast ashore on a raft; eventually to be picked up by Richard Cannonwalker, the Pirate King. Little is known about what happened on that fateful night of the Jolly Roger raid, but popular beliefs claim that John is an undead pirate, who becomes a skeleton during the Muertos Moon. Even his parents believe him to be dead, as they haven't recived a letter from him for 16 years. 'Pirate Lord Aaron' TBA The Pieces of Eight The Pieces of Eight are the items each Pirate Lord hold onto and present at Pirate Lord meetings to prove that they are a rightful Pirate Lord. Note: Still in the process of getting pictures for the gallery screenshot_2017-10-06_00-04-23.jpg|Crossbones Bandana (Richard Cannonwalker) screenshot_2017-10-05_23-40-18.jpg|Demon Fang Knives (John Foullegend) The Magistrates Magistrates are fearsome pirates voted in by the Pirate Lords to oversee specific islands on behalf of the Brethren Court. They ensure that the Pirate Code is being followed and that pirates have as much freedom on the island as is possible. Roleplay Events Ongoing *The Clash for the Cursed Blades - An ongoing series of RP events pitting the Brethren Court against the Kingdom of Spain over El Patron's Cursed Weapons. Concluded *The Mystery of the Headhunter Hunter - A concluded series of RP events about the Headhunter Hunter; a Galleon owned by Squidgallows. Category:The Brethren Courts Category:Pirates Category:Role-Play Category:POTCO Emulator